Tourney: June 28th 2011 Venetian Deepstack Event #32 $340

Today was another $340 and I went in feeling supremely focused and ready to play. There were 630 or so players and we started with 12000 in chips. My first table was actually pretty difficult overall with only a few weak spots.

Level 1: 50-100. One of the 1st hands of the day, a player who had opened every single pot (about 5 or 6 hands to this point) made it 250, I found AJo in MP and made it 600, and he called. The flop came J74 2 spades, he checked, and I checked behind to pot control. The turn came a 3, he bet 750, and I just called. The river came the 2s, he lead for 1200, and I called. He showed QJ for a lower kicker and I was up to 14.5k on the 1st orbit. However, after this pot I amazingly failed to win a single hand for the next 2 hours. I checked the BB with 1 limper with Jh4x. We checked to the river on 96588 4 hearts, I bet 100, he raised to 300, and I folded. The cutoff made it 250 and I called from the button with QJcc. The flop came 886 2 clubs giving me a flush draw, he bet 375, and I called. The turn came an offsuit 5, he checked, I bet 625, and he called. The river came a 9, he lead for 1225, and I folded. I was at 13125 and we went to the next level.

Level 2: 75-150. A player in EP made it 300, a MP player called, and I also called in MP with 44. We checked to the turn on AQ68 where I folded to a bet. There were 2 limps to me in the BB and I checked 88. The flop came Q64 and I folded to a 600 bet from one of the limpers. The cutoff made it 325, I called from the SB with A9o, the BB 3-bet to 1325, and I folded. I made it 350 from the hijack with A5dd and the button called. We checked to the turn on 7763 where I checked, he bet 500, and I called. The river came a J, I checked, and he checked behind showing A6cc for the winner. I was down to 11125 and we went to the next level.

Level 3: 100-200. I only played one real hand this level. The cutoff who was a spewdonk that had been playing alot of pots opened to 500, I 3-bet to 1350 from the button with T7cc, and he called. The flop came Q65, he checked, I bet 1200, and he called. The turn came another Q, he checked, and I just checked behind. The river came a K, he lead for 3100, and I folded. Bah. . .tried a 3-bet then c-bet that failed nothing much that I can do and I actually think he did have a Q here. I was down to 7825 and we went on the 1st break.

Level 4: 100-200 25. A UTG shortstack (who had ~1600) limped, a player in MP limped, the button made it 750, and I found AKo in the SB. I decided to just flat because 1) I figured he could have a monster here and I dont necessarily HAVE to play a large pot with AK and 2) It would be a perfect spot for the shortstack limper to limp-allin which would give me the perfect opportunity to re-iso with AKo. However, after I flatted the UTG limper just flatted and the MP player flatted as well. The flop came A95, we checked to the button, he bet 1400, I 3-bet (essentially) all in to 6000, and everyone folded. I was back to 11.5k or so after this. I made it 475 from UTG +2 with T8o, the cutoff 3-bet to 1600, and I folded. Next hand after this, I was able to find a very nice double up. I was UTG +1 and found KK and made it my standard 475. The player UTG +2 3-bet to 1125, the player in the SB (the spewdonk from the T7 hand) flatted the 3-bet, the BB flatted as well, and I moved all in for about 11k. The UTG +2 folded pretty quickly (what he said was TT), the SB (donk) snap called, and the BB folded. He showed 99 and I faded on a 632J3 board and was up all the way to 24k (after only winning 3 hands! pretty good). A player UTG made it 475 and I called from the BB with A7o. We checked to the turn on JT86 and I folded to a bet. I completed the SB with A3o but folded when the BB bet on T85. A semi-active player (he hadnt been raising too often but had showed down some less than premiums when he got to showdown) opened to 525 UTG +2, I found 66 in MP right behind and 3-bet to 1400, it folded him and he 4-bet to 3850, and I folded. I wish I would have just called to try to flop a set but I dont hate this play as I thought he was opening light. . .sometimes I will just flat and sometimes I will 3-bet and in this spot I made the wrong choice. I was at 22075 and we went to the next level.

Level 5: 150-300 25. A player UTG made it 800, I found QQ on the button and just flatted, and the BB called as well. The flop came Q64, they checked to me, I bet 1500, and the BB called. The turn came a K, he checked, and I checked behind. The river came an 8, he checked, I bet 3000, and I called but mucked when I showed. There were 2 limps to the hijack and he made it 750. The cutoff called, and I called on the button with 74ss. The SB, BB and one of the limpers called but the other limper decided to jam for 30k so I had to fold. A player in EP limped, I made it 725 from MP with 75cc, the button called, the BB 3-bet to 2500, and I folded (this table was playing pretty sick). A player UTG limped, I completed the SB with Q8, and the BB checked. The flop came AQ8, giving me bottom 2 pair, I checked, but they checked behind me. The turn came a J, I lead for 525, the BB called, the UTG player raised to 2525, I tanked for a while and folded, the BB folded also. The UTG limper showed AA and I was drawing dead on the flop so I made an excellent fold. What is funny is that if UTG bets the flop I am more than likely doubling him up and losing about 1/2 my stack (maybe more) so I am super lucky he decided to trap the flop. The fold is just whatever. . .I felt like it was about 50/50 I was beat (KT, T9, QJ, J8, AJ all get there) but even so with a solid caller behind me and not that much in the pot I could get away from it pretty easily and it was satisfying to see him turn over AA. I was at 24800 and we went to the next level.

Level 6: 200-400 50. With the start of this level I moved to a new table. This table was AWESOME. . .my last table sucked and I couldnt wait to get off of it (a ton of 3-betting and 4-betting) and it only took me a couple of hands to realize that the new table was all complete fishes and alot of them had a TON of chips. There were idiots with a ton of chips in seats 6, 7, 9, and 10, I was in seat 1, and there was 1 decent player in seat 8 (another in seat 2 but I never played a hand with him). I knew that they were calling stations so I decided to play tight and wait for a hand. I folded for the 1st couple orbits and I didnt really pick up a hand but I used my image to win a nice pot. The donk in seat 7 made it 1200 from UTG +1, the donk in seat 9 flatted, the donk in seat 10 flatted (this had been standard as they had all been limping/calling in a ton of terrible spots so I knew they were basically ATC here), and I 3-bet from the hijack with 4125 with K9hh and everyone quickly folded (allowing me to pick up 4500 in spare chips). I limped 55 behind one limper, the button made it 1500, the SB 3-bet to 3500, and I folded. I was up to 27000 and we went on the 2nd break.

Level 7: 300-600 50. Early on in this level, I lost a decent sized pot to one of the donks with chips. I made it 1325 from MP with KcJx and the donk in seat 6 called out of the BB. The flop came 9c8c3x, he checked, I c-bet 1500, and he called. The turn came the Tc giving me an open ended straight draw with the 2nd nut flush draw. He checked and I took my free card and checked behind. The river came the 4c giving me the 2nd nut flush, he lead out for 4825, and I called. He showed Ac7x for the nut flush and I took a decently sized hit dropping me to 19k or so. I am glad that I just decided to flat the river here. . .I almost raised but it seemed like a spot where (even though he is a huge donk) if I raise Im only getting punished by the Ac and rarely am getting more value from any other hand. I made it 1325 with AJo from UTG +1 and the donk in seat 6 (same guy from last hand) called in MP. The flop came J44, I checked, and he checked behind. The turn came an 8, I bet 2100, and he folded. I was obviously trap-checking the flop but it is a bad play because this guy has already shown that he is calling the flop with A high no draw on my c-bets so I should be betting here. I then ran a successful bluff that allowed me to get some of my chips back. I limped 33 from MP and (amazingly at this cally/terrible table), found myself only against the blinds. The flop came A98 2 hearts, the SB checked, the BB (the decent player in seat 8) bet out 1200, I made it 3200, the SB folded, and he called. The turn came a K, he checked, I bet 5025, and he folded after a little tank. I figured that he at best had an A with a weak kicker here and alot of times has just a flush draw so I figured that I could push him off alot of hands he bet/calls the flop. A player UTG limped, I found QQ UTG +1 and decided to just limp behind. I figured the table was so overraisey/cally that if I raise Im likely to get 4-5 callers and I would force myself to play a bigger pot than I would like. I thought I could limp and hopefully someone would raise so I could 3-bet and take a ton of dead money. However, (amazingly) everyone else folded to the BB who checked. The flop came K95 2 diamonds, they checked to me, I bet 1100, and UTG called. The turn came the 7d (putting a 3-flush), he checked, and I checked behind. The river came a 6, he checked, and I figured the hand didnt really play the way I wanted it to already so I just checked behind and he mucked when I showed QQ. After these 2 pots I was back to 27k again. The donk in seat 9 limped UTG, I found Q7hh from UTG +2 and isoed to 1750, the BB (the donk in seat 7) called, and the UTG player called as well. The flop came JJ9, the checked to me, I bet 2200, and the BB called. The turn came the Th giving me a flush draw and an open ended straight draw, he put me all in for my last 24k, and I folded. Haha . . .why cant I ever have JT or 99 here and just snap his ridiculous shove. I made it 1750 from UTG +1 with 66 and everyone folded. There were 2 limps to me and I completed the SB with 22. The flop came AK9 and I folded to a bet. A player UTG limped, I made it 1750 from the cutoff with T6cc, and he called. We checked to the turn on A54A where he checked, I bet 2100, and he folded. I normally c-bet all flops when I iso here but I like checking behind here because I like to rep aces by playing the turn and river super strong after I checked the flop. He was a competent player so I figured hed give me credit. I was at 26400 and we went on the 3rd break.

Level 9: 500-1000 100. A player in MP made it 2300, a player in LP called, and I called from the BB with 96ss. The flop came K83 and I check folded to a bet from the raiser. I found AQo from UTG +1 and made it 2300, the player UTG +2 went all in for 6400, and I called. He showed KQss and I was able to resuck on him on K33A9 and I was up to 31k or so. The button limped (donk in seat 9), the SB completed (donk in seat 10), and I checked the BB with 96o. The board ran out AT99J, I bet 2500, and everyone folded. I could have bet the turn but I really didnt think I would get action so I tried to let them catch up a little by checking. . .I guess it didnt work. I made it 2300 in the cutoff with AQo and the SB (tighter/more competent new player) was the only caller. The flop came J93, he checked, I bet 2600, and he folded. . .easy c-bet because I knew he would play me straight up overall. I was up to 37300 and went to the next level.

Level 10: 600-1200 100. I took a sick beat right at the start of this level when my super donk table had to break and I moved to a new table. I really think if this table stayed together I would be able to make a massive run on chips as there were so many bad players with so many chips. As it is I wasnt able to make any hands and, while I did chip up some, it wasnt as much as I would have liked. I folded for the 1st orbit at the new table and 1st hand I played, I opened to 2600 UTG +1 with A8ss, a player in MP 3-bet to 8000, and I folded. I folded for another orbit and I was at 34k or so in the BB when a massive pot came up. It folded to the SB and he completed and I found KK in the BB and made it 3000. He called and the flop came JT7. He checked, I bet 3600, and he called. The turn came a 3, he checked, I bet 6100, he put me all in for my last 19k or so behind and I called pretty quickly (this is more or less a "if he has me beat he has me beat spot" especially since I hate folding and leaving myself with 15bbs. He showed 87 for 3rd pair with a gutshot draw. The river came a 9 filling his straight and busting out in a massive 70k pot.

This really sucked because I was feeling so confident today and I was playing really well overall. . .I really thought I was going to make a deep run today. Cant really do anything about it so I guess I will just have to do my best again tomorrow.